Shelley Meltzer

A free and independent spirit, Shelley Walker Meltzer died peacefully at the age of 84 on September 21, 2007, surrounded by her four sons, who were the loves of her life. Shelley was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Pacific Grove at the home of her grandparents, marine biology pioneer and Stanford professor Dr. Harold Heath and writer and translator of Norwegian books, Elsie Hjerleid-Shelley. As a child, Shelley studied in France and England while traveling with her mother, Phyllis Walker, a teacher at Berkeley High School. The two of them traveled to Europe many times. Shelley lived in Los Angeles, where she met her former husband Theodore Meltzer and in San Francisco and Redwood City. When her sons were teenagers, Shelley returned to school for her nursing degree and worked at Sequoia Hospital until the mid 70’s when she moved to Santa Cruz. In Santa Cruz, she loved the Flea Market and garage sales. Her talent in scrimshaw and sculpture garnered her a scholarship at Stephen’s College in Missouri. In Santa Cruz, she devoted much of her time to her grandchildren and her garden. Coming from a Quaker family, she was a pre-détente advocate for co-existence with the Soviet Union, hosting Soviet goodwill ambassadors in her home. She also wrote children’s stories, which were published in several magazines, including a Soviet publication. Shelley is survived by her sons, Mark Meltzer of Palo Alto and his children Eric and Amy; Paul Meltzer of Santa Cruz and his daughter Marisa Meltzer of New York City; Nicholas Meltzer, his wife Anita Diaz and their son Jacob Meltzer of San Francisco; and Anthony Meltzer, his wife Coco and their son Reid of Honeydew, California. She also leaves a brother, Dr. Bradford Walker of Kalamazoo, Michigan, his wife Marilyn and their children Alison Walker Pruitt and Lauren Walker Keller and their families. Preceding her in death were her daughter, Jane Meltzer, her mother Phyllis Walker of Pacific Grove, her father Charles Walker of Seattle Washington and her former husband Theodore Meltzer of San Francisco. Services are private, but donations in Shelley’s memory can be made to the Second Harvest Food Bank, one of her favorite charities.